Rumor
by Singing Violin
Summary: Chakotay's irate about a rumor he heard. It couldn't be true, could it?


Title: Rumor  
Rating: K+  
Series: Star Trek: Voyager  
Author: Singing Violin  
Disclaimer: The characters and universe are not mine. Please don't sue.  
Summary: Chakotay's irate about a rumor he heard. It couldn't be true, could it?  
Feedback: Please  
Archiving: Anywhere

Chakotay stormed into the Ready Room and slammed a PADD down on the desk.

"Is it true?" he demanded.

Kathryn gulped, really not in any condition to deal with whatever it was Chakotay was angry about today. "I'm not feeling well, Commander, so please tell me what this is about. Quickly."

He sighed. "They're saying you're having an affair…"

She raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "With whom?"

"Harry Kim!" he blurted out. "Really, how could…?"

His thought was interrupted when she raced a hand to her mouth too late and vomited through her fingers all over her uniform.

Disgusted, Chakotay made a face. "Now I _know_ it's true. You're pregnant! You've even got morning sickness!"

Meanwhile, Kathryn's greenish pallor had turned to bright red as she hastily headed towards her bathroom to clean up, mumbling curses.

Torn between storming out and waiting for her explanation, he dawdled at the door to the bathroom, then eventually poked his head in. She was haphazardly blotting at the stain on her uniform, looking distracted.

"So?" he asked, not really expecting an answer.

She turned to him, anger blazing in her eyes even as every other part of her body screamed her fatigue. "What do you expect me to say?" she asked. "You've already made up your mind."

He shrugged. "Why?"

Kathryn glared. "Maybe you ought to ask whether before you ask why, Commander. But not now. I really don't feel well."

With that, she plopped herself down in front of the toilet, clearly expecting to be sick again.

Chakotay was suddenly quite concerned. "Have you talked to the doctor?" he asked.

She shook her head. "It only just started," she answered. "I'm sure I'll be fine in a bit."

He peered at her. "You really don't look so good."

"Thanks for noticing," she muttered. "Now, I really would prefer to be left alone."

"No," he replied firmly. "Not until I get some answers."

She looked up at him. "Fine. You want to know the truth? Harry has a little crush on me, that's all. He probably circulated the rumor himself. He's very sweet, but he's just a child! I can't believe you could even entertain such a possibility…"

He looked dubious. "What do you mean he's sweet?"

She smiled slightly, remembering. "Well, he brought me a cupcake last night." However, the recollection of the taste of the cupcake suddenly elicited her gag reflex and she found herself retching again, though this time neatly into the toilet.

When she was done, she added, "well, that was the cupcake. I didn't expect to see it twice."

Immediately, Chakotay was contrite. He knelt down beside her and reached over to rub her back. Exhausted, she made no motion to rebuff him. "I'm sorry," he spoke softly. "I shouldn't have believed a stupid rumor. It looks like his cupcake poisoned you. Hopefully it wasn't deliberate…"

She attempted to get up, but sank back to the floor.

"Easy," he told her, then put his arm around her as she tried again, keeping support so she didn't fall over as he walked her to the couch.

"I'm going to call the doctor, okay?" he told her.

"Wait," she cautioned. "You weren't wrong about everything. I _am_ pregnant."

"What?!" he squeaked.

"But it's not Harry's," she confirmed.

"Then whose?" he asked, bewildered. "Tom Paris?"

She shook her head. "No."

He resisted the urge to take hold of her shoulders and shake the answer out of her, as she still looked fairly miserable.

"It's yours," she whispered.

He blinked and stared for a full minute before speaking. "How is that possible?"

A tear trickled down her cheek as she looked up at him. "Last checkup, the doctor told me I was perimenopausal. Basically, if I didn't have a child now I never would. I didn't want to wait. But I was afraid if I asked you, that you'd say no. So I went to the doc's lab, took one of your samples, and made myself some embryos. Then I had the doc implant a few of them. It was my last chance…"

Her voice trailed off as she began to cry. "I'm sorry," she mumbled between sobs as she hid her face in her hands.

Shocked, he sat down beside her and took her into his arms. "How could you possibly think I'd refuse you?" he wondered aloud. "Didn't I tell you that your needs would always come first?"

She shook her head against his shoulder. "I couldn't ask that of you. It's so personal. I guess I was hoping you wouldn't find out…"

He pulled away from her and looked into her watery eyes. "Kathryn, you must know that if I thought you were pregnant with another man's child, I'd be eaten with jealousy. There is nothing in this world I want more than to be the father of your child."

She blinked. "Really?"

He nodded. "Even more than getting home. I love you, Kathryn. I must say I'm disappointed you didn't give me a choice, because I would have been thrilled to participate in the child's creation. But what's done is done, and I'm overjoyed to have the birth of my first child to look forward to, however his existence came about."

She clamped a hand over her mouth again as fresh tears came to her eyes. After a moment, she spoke again. "Oh, Chakotay, I didn't even think of that! This isn't the first time a woman has tried to have your child without permission. I'm no better than Se…"

This time he clamped the hand over her mouth. "Don't even say it, Kathryn. This is completely different. She did it to gain power over me, and it worked, even though it wasn't even my child! And I would have welcomed that child, if it had been mine, just as I will welcome this one. But this time, I will be able to love both mother and child as my own…if you'll let me."

She reached forward and pulled him back into an embrace. "Oh, Chakotay, I'm so glad! I love you too." The words didn't feel nearly as awkward as she'd imagined they would.

He snickered. "I know. You chose me as the father, after all."

Pulling back once again, he kissed her forehead, then brushed a thumb over the spot where he'd kissed her, wiping away any residual moisture. "I'd kiss you on the lips," he admitted, "but you have puke breath."

She smiled. "Some other time. Maybe during the second trimester."

He grinned. "I'm looking forward to it."

Suddenly she appeared troubled. "What are we going to tell the crew?"

He rolled his eyes and pointed to the PADD that was stilly sitting on her desk. "If that's any indication, we don't have to tell them anything. They'll find out soon enough. If the delivery of a cupcake turned into an affair…"

Her hand went to her mouth again, and he realized his error as he prepared to rush her back to the bathroom. However, she quickly regained her composure. "I'm all right now, I think," she told him as he regarded her with worry. "Just don't mention that again. I guess the baby doesn't like…you know."

"Are you sure you don't want to go to Sickbay?" he asked again as he rose from the couch.

She nodded. "I'll be okay, as long as the subject stays away from food, at least for a while."

He frowned. "What if it _is_ food poisoning?"

Kathryn shook her head. "If it's food poisoning, can you imagine the guilt Harry would feel? I don't want to know."

"And you're sure you're pregnant?" he asked, suddenly doubtful.

"Yes. And with any luck, with twins. Or maybe triplets. Or maybe even…we implanted four embryos…"

"Wait, we could have quadruplets?" he queried.

She smiled mischievously. "We could…the chances are small, but it's a possibility…"

That was too much for him to process, and he collapsed, unconscious, onto the ground.

She bent over and examined him, sighing. She spoke to her stomach. "I suppose we will have to make a trip to Sickbay today after all."

Not looking forward to the doctor's anticipated lecture about proper prenatal nutrition, she resigned herself to her fate as she tapped her communicator and ordered the transport.


End file.
